Photography, Imaging, 3D and 3D Printing

Archive for December, 2015

Sometimes when working on composites, either for creative ideas during the creative process or for including in the final version, getting the right image can be challenging and also time consuming. Adobe Stock could be the answer, and I wanted to show how to use Adobe stock when inside Photoshop CC, or the other Desktop apps to save you lots of time and open up more creative ideas.

Access to Adobe Stock is available within the Libraries panel of the Desktop applications; however, i’ve just used Photoshop CC as an example here. Just to be clear, Adobe Stock is an additional subscription, which allows you to use watermarked assets for free or to buy the same high-resolution imagery, vectors and illustrations (watermarked images can be used ‘FPO’ Free for Placement Only). This can be beneficial, as it might help you visualise an idea for a shoot or composite.

Adobe Stock has been embedded into the applications within the Libraries panel, and it’s content can be searched using the Search box (marked in red). The search results are shown in purple within the same panel. Stock items have metadata associated with them, which is used for the search, this data also comes across once the image is downloaded (into a designated library), therefore the search can be used not only against the Stock library, but also for the assets that have been downloaded (either licensed or watermarked) within the library or across any instance (Library and Stock).

Hovering over an image from the Stock search, will show the download watermarked image (marked in yellow), or license/buy option (the basket item (covered later within this blog)). Assets are downloaded into the library that has been selected (red), new libraries can be created on the fly (possibly due to a project or other focused content), and be shared/collaborated on with other Creative Cloud users. Clicking the icon within the yellow marked area, will download the low resolution version of the asset into the selected Library.

Once the asset has been downloaded, it will be available within your environment under the selected library, as well as within the other desktop apps, and available too any one else sharing/collaborating on the library with you. Once the assets have been downloaded into the library, they can be dragged into the canvas and added to the composite. Notice that when the content is brought into the layer panel, it’s set up as a Smart Object, which means you will be working with a copy, not the original, therefore if anyone else if using the content, then they will get a clean watermarked image. As an aside, the original image can be modified, by right clicking on it and choosing ‘edit’.

Once the asset has been loaded into the layer as a Smart object, this means that non-destructive adjustments can be applied without altering the original image and can be modified at any point into the future. Notice that in the example below, the Image Adjustments (as opposed to Layer Adjustments) have been used. Within Photoshop CC, these adjustments are now available for use on Smart Objects, and will be applied as non-destructive edits. Once the adjustment has been applied, you will see the adjustment below the layer to which it was applied (marked in yellow).

To finish this composite off, I’ll add a Santa hat. Searching Adobe Stock once more, I can easily find some ‘Christmas Decorations’ and add what I feel is needed to finish this image.

Then using masks and selections, the new addition can be cut out and placed into the original comp. The selection can be quickly converted into a mask, by clicking the create mask icon marked in red.

Once a mask has been created (marked in green), it can be refined using the Mask edge (marked in yellow). Once the edge has been refined (in this case, just the hat and white edges), the Mask can then be updated (marked in red).

N.B. Only the hat has been refined using this method because there is some good contrast to pull all of the fur out from the background. The bracket holding the hat as limited contrast so a refined mask edge won’t work very well. To cut this element out, the mask can be edited using a standard black and white brush directly on the mask.

Pressing Shift +Alt +click on the mask with show the mask overlaying on the image, this can make it easier to mask in/out these areas.

Once finished, the object fits in quite nicely.

Of course, adjustments can be made to this layer, so that it fits in with the background size and colours.

Once the composite has been completed, it can either be created in the real world, or the Stock images can be purchased from your Stock plan.

To buy/license the images, it’s as simple as heading over to the Library panel, and then right clicking on the image and choose buy.

Because the images can be purchased inline of the composite and it’s adjustments, adding the high-resolution image does not need to be downloaded, re-imported or have the adjustments re-applied manually. This unique approach to using watermarked images, and buying from within the application can save vast amounts of time. Of course you are also able to contribute to Adobe Stock and get rewarded for your efforts.

I quite like the recent files list, as it helps me open documents that i opened a few hours or a few days ago, but of course you can turn this off in the preferences (below)

To turn off the start workspace (files, presets and libraries) then uncheck the Show “Start” workspaces (marked in red). To turn off the “Recent files” panel, then uncheck the box within the area marked in yellow.

Design Space (Preview) enhancements (I won’t be discussing this here, but as an action to all desginers, we would love to hear your thoughts on Design Space).

new 2-column User Interface

search across application and across-document

integration of Adobe Stock and Creative Cloud Libraries;

sampling unification and workflow simplification for all layer types + Sample All

swap layers,

Groups and Artboards support

create artboard or document specific guides

export single and batch with ability to add multiple settings and presets

other improvements to Select and Properties panels

Before “Design space”, can be used, you need to make sure that it’s turned on in the Technology Preview preferences setting (marked in Yellow) and the check box is checked (marked in Purple below). Design Space is turned on by default, but maybe turned off in your environment. Once turned on, Design Space can be accessed from the window menu, and selecting Design Space (marked in red below).

Do more with Artboards

show only active Artboard layers

per-Artboard guides – Each Artboard, once selected, can have it’s own set of Guides

on-canvas “+” to add Artboards

new Artboard preferences, marked in red below.

Modern user interface and new touch capabilities on the Windows operating system

dark dialogs (except Camera RAW)

support for larger tabs

new gestures,

Modifier Keys panel on the Windows operating system

Customise your toolbar

A new level of flexibility for your design work (3D character workflow from Fuse)

starring fonts as favorites (Stars now appear next to the fonts, click it to set as a favorite (shown in blue below)

filter by classification and similarity (Areas marked in light blue, orange and green are the filters to refine the font list)

most recently used fonts (shown in red below)

Faster Export with more control

improved performance especially JPG

applying settings to multiple assets in the Export dialog

convert to sRGB

export of multi-sized assets and metadata options

Individual layers can also be selected and exported using the Export As dialog. Selecting the layers in the layers panel, then right clicking to bring up the fly out menu. The Export As will process the selected layes and give options for each (including the re-sizing for different screens)

Use more vector content with SVG import

Open and place native SVG files—which can rescale for any size device or any resolution—in your Photoshop designs. Just double-click the object to edit it in Adobe Illustrator.

Also export SVG image assets using the new export experience.

Find the right glyph faster

most recently used

sort by glyph ID or unicode value

Dehaze with local adjustment brush/radial/graduated filters in Adobe Camera RAW

The announcement at Max 2015 revealed the new integration pipeline between Fuse (preview) CC and Photoshop, powered by the Creative Cloud Sync. The objective of this integration is to simplify the creation of a custom and unique character in Fuse, then use Photoshop CC to apply smooth animations to your character.

To make a new character, start out in Fuse and select a head.

Wizard process will walk you through adding other components like arms, worse and legs.

Each step enables customisation of that part, i.e. local definition of each part, in the case below, waist, stomach etc.

Textile wizard allows adding other elements to the character, like hats, facial hair and other clothes.

With an ability to custom the colour and texture of each element.

Once the character is ready, it can be saved as a .muse file, as well as sent to Creative Cloud for processing. Whilst the character is on it’s way to CC it will be automatically rigged for animation. As you can see below, the character will seamlessly be inserted into the Photoshop libraries panel, for each access within Photoshop.

There will be a notification from the Creative Cloud desktop application when the character has been rigged and ready in the library panel.

It can then be dragged across into any active canvas, ready for applying the animations or blending into a 2D scene.

Below show the new character in the scene, ready for placement. It can be moved around the ground plane, as a regular object. Also notice the black skeletal framework overlaid onto the character.

Any available animation can be applied by just selecting it from the properties combo box, each selection will result in the application to the model on the screen. You can see below, that the character is now sat on the floor. This animation sequence will take the model from a sitting position to a standing position.

It’s also possible to apply facial expressions, by selecting the face icon and the correct expression required.

To finish up, a back ground can be added (from below i’ve pulled it in from Adobe Stock and licensed it), then move the lights around to mimic the shadows which would be created by the sun.

The whole process took less that 5 minutes from creation of a custom character, to rigg it and then apply animations and blend into the background.

We hope you have lots of fun with the Integration of Fuse and Photoshop for placement of characters in your 2D scenes.